The Collective
by baltimorejones
Summary: Lia woke up deep in the Maze with no recollection of how she go there. Finding a way out of the Maze she meets the Glade's residents and is immediately distrusted by it's members. It's not until she finds a note in her pocket and becomes a Runner does she start to think that they may have reason to be suspicious of her. She blindly follows the notes hoping to find the answers.


A/N: First Chapter of the Maze Runner Trilogy FanFic. Be aware this will go slightly AU from the original story but will no way hinder the main storyline. This is essentially just an added bonus to an already great story and is basically just practice for me on creating decent OCs and writing characterizations. Hope you enjoy! Constructive Criticism is welcome. Let me know your thoughts!

Unedited

Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner

She woke up to the warm feeling of the sun against her skin. She laid on her stomach uncomfortably, with her chest against the stone, and her long dark hair splayed out in a tangled mess. Yet the only thing she could think about was the pounding against her head. It felt as if someone had taken a baseball bat to her skull repeatedly. Groaning she rolled over, fingers brushing through the green moss growing in between cracks of the stone floor, she felt like she was going to be sick. Hand on head she flinched at the sunlight glaring down at her and squinting her eyes as they adjusted to the morning light. She stood up on weak knees, leaning against the stone wall for support, she looked forward and only saw stone and sky. She glanced back and only saw stone and sky. Looking forward once more she went with her gut and began to walk. Having no recollection of how or why she got there she gritted her teeth in frustration and moved forward, too dehydrated and sore to worry about anything but finding something or someone.

At first she had thought she was on an old plantation with the old stone walls filled with vines and moss but as she slowly progressed through the heat of the morning she had realized it was a maze. Soon she was more worried about walking in circles then actually finding a way out. The more she walked the more she wondered how she came to be here. Why was she there? Where was there? How did he end up in this predicament? Questions reeled through her mind and she began to panic. She couldn't even remember her own name as hard as she thought and thought she could not remember what happened before waking up deep within the maze.

She started leaving bread crumb trails of moss the further she walked so she wouldn't get lost. Grabbing fist fulls and placing them at dead ends and at intersections she had gone through. It felt like she had been out there for hours with no progress made. She wasn't sure how big the maze was but at this point she knew she wouldn't get out of there by nightfall.

Her headache was even worse than before and she could feel the dehydration starting to effect her. Her breathing grew heavy and as the day wore on her wandering breaks started to increase. Sweat started trickling down her forehead and it was starting to become an effort just to wipe it off.

'This is how it's going to end.' She later thought. 'Trekking through this godforsaken maze with no clue on how I even got here.' She almost laughed at how pathetic that was. "Whoever put me here must really fucking hate me." She finally said outloud.

That's when she heard the sound of rubber slapping against stone. Someone's running, her mind told her. The first distinct sound she has heard in hours and her ears perked up to the noise. Not even afraid of whoever or whatever it was she immediately called out to it.

"Hey!" She shouted her voice sounding slightly hoarse with desperation. "Is anyone there?" She said louder.

The noise quickly dissipated as the person skidded to a stop and grunted followed by a loud thud she was sure she had caused. Whoever it was had toppled over. They certainly weren't expecting her to make an appreance. She wondered why they were out here and if they had no memory either. It was silent for a moment and she was nervous that she had scared them off.

"Hello?" A male voice called back sounding completely unsure of whether they had heard her or not.

"Do you know where we are?" She quickly asked just barely stumbling over her words. Her dry tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth as she spoke.

Another second of silence.

"Who are you?" The man asked fiercely causing her to take a step back and blink.

"I- um- I'm not sure. I don't remember." She hesitantly admitted.

"Stay where you are I'll come to you." He replied moments later. It sounded as if they were only blocked off by three or four of the mazes walls.

"Can I trust you?" No answer.

'To hell with that' She thought to herself and began to walk towards where the voice originated from.

Finding new found energy she began to pick up her pace and run towards the stranger. She could hear his footsteps echo through the maze and was focused on following the sound. Soon enough her own feet were slapping against the concrete trying to keep up with him. As she progressed forward she could hear his steps more clearly and soon could hear him breathing heavily. She hoped he could hear his footsteps as well.

"I thought I told you to stay where you are!" He shouted over the wall his tone was less than pleased.

"It was more of a suggestion than a command!" She replied just as loud and she could hear him scoff from where he was running.

'Must be close now' she guessed as she continued further down the path.

She turned a corner and saw a figure at the other end. It was him. He had spotted her too and he skirted to a halt seemingly surprised to see that she had actually existed and his jaw dropped in shock. She stopped as well and relief surged through her, she was no longer alone. Laughing, she started to jog towards, not the man a teenager, he didn't look much older than she was. What was he doing here? Was he alone too?

Before she could even begin to ask a concrete wall pushed it's way between both of them, cutting them off from each other. She gasped in disbelief as she ran up to the stone and began pounding her bare hands on the intruding object. Her relief had instantly shattered into anguish as she felt tears form in her eyes.

"What's happening?" She questioned him tensely her hands becoming more and more bruised as she tried to punch her way through.

"The maze walls moved!" He replied just as frustrated as she was.

"I can see that!" She said harshly. "But why do the maze walls move?" She questioned in disbelief.

"That's a question for another time Shank. We need to move before the doors close!" He shouted out towards her as more walls shifted around causing havoc within the maze.

"What doors?" She questioned again and he groaned in annoyance.

"Slim it shank! We have bigger things to worry about! Just keep your left hand to the wall and I'll try to find you." He explained thoroughly as his voice began to fade further and further away from her.

She did exactly as he asked and ran through the maze keeping to the left with her hand tracing the wall as she pushed forward. Adrenaline was the only thing that had her at a fast pace. She would get out of this alive and not even the moving walls were going to stop her. There was no way she going to be trapped like some animal.

She turned corner after corner and kept her hand, now dried with blood, on the wall next to her. Narrowly avoiding walls beginning to close her off and chipped off pieces of concrete that were laid out in front of her. She would be sore after this day, there was no mistaking it, but the fear and energy numbed the pain as she ran through the maze.

Running towards a clear pathway she screeched involuntarily as a wall began to shut her way through. She pushed faster only to have it close when she is barely inches away from making it through. Cursing under her breath she slapped her hand on the offending wall and followed its destination just as more walls began to move around her.

She watched as they developed a pattern around her. The more openings she went through the more the walls tried to block her in. She bit her tongue as she stopped in the middle of the walkway and glanced around as she was closed off from all sides. Each wall cutting off any exit of escaping, she was completely blocked in and just then all the sounds from the walls shifting completely stopped. Whatever or whoever did this had no intention of letting her survive this maze. They were toying with her, she sooner realized, there was no way out from this except- She glanced up with an idea that could very well kill her. She had to climb.

Finding sturdy vines that were securely attached to the wall was simple enough. It was finding the strength to pull her body up that was difficult. She gripped tightly on the vines, making sure they snap off from her weight, and began the steady climb to the top of the wall. Her jaw was clenched as she struggled to pull herself up the vines.

Sweat beading down her face as a chorus of moans and groans escaped her pained mouth. Just as she was about to the reach the top a branch snapped in half causing her to fall further down the wall. Crying out in pain just as she caught herself she continued to push upward towards her intent until she was at the top pulling herself onto the ledge of the wall. With her face on concrete she gave herself a second to breathe before continuing onward.

She stood up and looked out towards the maze and was in awe of how huge it actually was. The maze went on for miles and it looked like it had no end to it. She gazed around the maze looking for any sort of exit nearby but found none. Instead she found an opening in the middle of the maze. She had decided that would be her intended destination and headed towards it.

She ran across the walls steadily and carefully jumped from wall to wall. Hesitant on falling off since she was already anxious with vertigo. Keeping an eye out for her attempted rescuer as she progressed she had spotted him rushing through the maze trying to find her. He was pumping his arms up wildly and breathing heavily. She decided to make a beeline for him and cut him off at the middle. Hopefully they would both make it out before the walls started moving again because she had some questions that she was sure he would know. He seemed to know more than she did.

"Excuse me?" She called out to him once she caught up with the fast runner.

He stopped his movements and glanced around. Her voice sounding closer than it had before since she was right next to him. Standing from the vantage point she got a good look at him. He was Asian, that much was certain and covered in sweat causing his black hair to stick to his forehead. From all the running, kid was fast she had I give him that.

"Up here!" She grabbed his attention and he looked up surprised by her appearance yet again.

"What're you doing up there?" He questioned as he stood and caught his breath with his hands on his hips.

"What does it look like?" She countered.

"Get down here you Shank!" He demanded and she gazed at him curiously.

"What's a Shank?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Not my job to tell you Shank. Now c'mon, we don't have all night." She wasn't going to argue with that and grabbed onto some vine branches and started her descent down to the maze.

"What were you doin' out here?" He asked as she climbed down. She stopped for a second and looked over her shoulder at him as he watched her with great interest.

"I-I don't know. I just woke up here this morning and have been trying to find a way out all day." She said honestly. He furrowed his eyebrows at that like he was deep in thought. "What about you?" She asked as she jumped down to the stone floor.

He gazed at her steadily before shaking his head. "Our leader will tell you once we get to the Glade." He responded and started jogging in the other direction from where he came.

"What's the Glade?" She asked as she began to follow him.

"No questions Shuck-face." He replied over his shoulder and she wasn't sure if she should be offended or not.

"Well can I at least ask your name?" She inquired and instead of just replying over his shoulder he glanced back at her passively. "Minho."

"I'd ask yours but you probably don't remem-" he began but she interrupted him with it.

"It's Lia." She spoke quickly and they jogged the rest of the way in silence.

Lia began to grow weary the more they ran towards their intended destination. She had no idea who this guy was or his leader or this Glade of theirs. He seemed to be more familiar with this maze than she was. Lia knew that if he had any intention of hurting her he could have by now. Minho was only a few inches taller than her but he was muscular and fast. There was no doubt he could over power her now matter how quick she was.

"We're almost there." Minho told her as they turned a corner and there sat what Lia assumed were the doors he had mentioned and they were open.

Outside those doors were people, his people, gazing into the maze. Lia suddenly felt very nervous. They casually jogged towards the crowd of people that were gaping at the newcomer. It didn't take long to notice that there were no other girls, only guys. That made her even more skeptical and she stayed a couple feet behind Minho as they both approached the group of shocked boys.

They stared at her but she looked past them at the green pastures behind them. At the homemade buildings held together by logs and twigs and at the livestock wandering around the fields. There were gardens filled with vegetables and fruit and Lia silently wondered how they maintained all that produce. This was how they were surviving? This was the Glade? It looks beautiful to her especially after the morning she had spent in the maze but at the back of her mind she felt like this was all a lie.

Lia was pulled from her train of thought as the boys around her started badgering Minho with questions and whispering to one another.

"What the hell happened in there?"

"Is that a girl?"

"Why were the walls moving?"

"Where did she come from?"

"Is she with them?"

"She's pretty."

They all spoke over each other and all Lia could do was glance at one face to another, completely overwhelmed by everything that was being pushed at her. She'd rather take her chances with the maze. She wanted to run away.

"Slim it!" Minho yelled over everyone and once everyone quieted down he spoke up again. "Where's Alby?"

Someone stepped up. He looked older than the rest and had tired eyes like he had been doing this for too long. He had dark skin and was just about as muscular as his friend Minho. This must be the leader he was talking about. Alby gazed at her up and down, sizing her up, before speaking at her.

"Who are you?" He questioned and everyone waited with baited breath for her answer.

Her eyes glanced around at all the guys that were staring at her and knew all their questions were the same. They didn't trust her just as she didn't trust them but she was in a predicament and needed to cooperate to survive no matter how much she didn't want to.

"Lia." She finally said.

"Where did you come from?" He interrogated.

He was trying to be big in front of all these guys. She could tell by his stance, his fists were clenched and his legs shoulder width apart, His stature was all defense it was all for show though. Lia knew he could take her down easily.

"I just woke up somewhere in the Maze this morning. I have no memory of anything before that." She shrugged feeling more lightheaded the more she talked.

"You're being awfully cooperative." Another boy stated suspiciously and her eyes traveled to his.

"Would you prefer if I was uncooperative?" Lia cocked her head in annoyance.

"Slim it Gally." Alby interrupted before the large boy said anything further. He looked put out but didn't respond to her snapping out at him.

Alby smiled at her but she knew it was fake, it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sorry for the suspicion but you have to understand this entire situation is pretty... Paritcular." He spoke solemnly.

Lia narrowed her eyes at that. "Why?"

"Because of how you arrived. You woke up in the maze and made it out alive. That and our monthly Greenie had already arrived so you being here doesn't make sense. Plus you're a girl." Someone hooted at his words. "If you hadn't noticed there aren't any other girls around here besides you. So the question is why are you here? What makes you so special?" Alby asked genuinely this time and Lia could tell her was being sincere by the look in his eyes.

She glanced over at Minho who looked just as befuddled as she felt.

"I don't have the answers." Lia said honestly. "I'm just as lost as you are."

They all stood in silence for a moment as Alby contemplated on everything she had said.

"Alright." He began. "Take her to the Slammer until we figure out what to do with her." He decided and before she knew what was going on Gally and some other kid took each arm and dragged her off through the group of guys that all witnessed that interrogation. There were many protests against it but most of the guys stayed quiet.

They took her too what she assumed was the Slammer. It was a make shift prison made of logs and twigs. They opened up the door and pushed her inside. She fell face first into the dirt and there was nothing but an unstable chair with her in that pit. Lia glared up at the two guys as they looked at here through the prisons posts.

"I appreciate the warm welcome." She said sarcastically while brushing the dirt off her clothes.

"You're lucky you weren't banished." Gally spat and she couldn't help but roll eyes at him.

"Let me guess you send them out to the maze to starve to death?" She shook her head.

Gally held a shit-eating grin on his face. "You might find out sooner than you think Shank." He raised his eyebrows before stalking off with his friend.

Lia sat back, completely unhappy with those days events. But at least she was safe and hoped they'd be decent enough to bring her food and water. Shifting around she felt something in her pocket. Lia pulled it out and she read three words she didn't fully understand.

Become a runner.


End file.
